"It is going to require, in my view, a lot of one-to-one assistance."
Vicki Veltri
The legislature recently made it harder for parents to stay on Husky, Connecticut's version of Medicaid. The state said that around 1,200 people risk losing their insurance coverage at the end of the month if they take no action.
Understanding how to get and keep health insurance isn't exactly easy.
"I think it's a confusing situation for people," said Vicki Veltri, the state's health care advocate. "But the onus is on all of us to make sure that people aren't dropping through the cracks."
The rollback was part of the state budget passed in June. It was an effort to save the state money by moving people off of Medicaid, which is jointly funded by the state and federal government, and onto the private subsidized marketplace.
The change could eventually affect nearly 20,000 adults who have children. A typical family of three making just over $31,000 would lose coverage.
Most of those people will get a one year reprieve -- that's because they have income from a job. But 1,200 or so will lose their coverage at the end of the month. They have income that isn't work related and make too much money to stay on Medicaid.
Veltri said the state is reaching out to those 1,200 people to help them figure out if they qualify for another type of Medicaid, or to help them enroll in private, subsidized insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
"When it comes to insurance, it's complicated," Veltri said. "So, whether you're one of the people in this income group or someone enrolling, it is going to require, in my view, a lot of one-to-one assistance. So, that's why we've enlisted the help of the certified application counselors that are out there, the qualified health centers, the hospitals, and brokers to help people in the transition."
Veltri said the remaining 18,000 people will face this challenge next year.
